


First Star I See Tonight

by Nightdog_Barks



Category: House M.D.
Genre: Gen, Hanukkah, Jewish Holidays, Kid Fic, Religious Themes & References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-21
Updated: 2008-12-21
Packaged: 2017-10-18 05:37:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/185588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightdog_Barks/pseuds/Nightdog_Barks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The season of light brings unexpected visitors.  1,498 words.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Star I See Tonight

**Author's Note:**

> The LJ-cut text is from the song "I Only Have Eyes For You" (complete lyrics [here](http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/mygirl/ionlyhaveeyesforyou.htm)). There are a few other notes at the end.

_**First Star I See Tonight**_  
 **TITLE:** First Star I See Tonight  
 **AUTHOR:** [](http://nightdog-writes.livejournal.com/profile)[**nightdog_writes**](http://nightdog-writes.livejournal.com/)  
 **CHARACTERS:** House, Cuddy, a very young OFC  
 **RATING:** PG-13  
 **WARNINGS:** None.  
 **SPOILERS:** Yes, for the general beginning of Season 5, and episode 5.11 ("Joy to the World") in particular.  
 **SUMMARY:** The season of light brings unexpected visitors. 1,498 words.  
 **DISCLAIMER:** Don't own 'em. Never will.  
 **AUTHOR NOTES:** The LJ-cut text is from the song "I Only Have Eyes For You" (complete lyrics [here](http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/mygirl/ionlyhaveeyesforyou.htm)). There are a few other notes at the end.  
 **BETA:** My intrepid First Readers, with especial thanks to [](http://topaz-eyes.livejournal.com/profile)[**topaz_eyes**](http://topaz-eyes.livejournal.com/).

 **First Star I See Tonight**

  
The lights in the living room were on, and House caught a glimpse of shadow moving about, but by the time he'd dismounted from his motorcycle and made his way to Cuddy's front door, the shadow was gone and the room was empty. He used the handle of his cane to knock loudly on the front door, and after a moment it swung open to reveal Cuddy standing there, outlined against the welcoming warmth.

Well, not _just_ Cuddy. That baby was there, too, nestled in the crook of her left arm, her head resting on Cuddy's shoulder. Cuddy was patting gently at the baby's back with her right hand, and her eyes were gimlet-sharp as she stared at House.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she asked. The baby made a gulping sound, somewhere between a burp and a wheeze, and Cuddy shook her head. "Come on, little girl," she said, without waiting for House's answer. She turned away; the baby's eyes widened as she peered in House's general direction and as Cuddy continued to murmur into her ear.

"You can eat in just a minute, Shana, we have to light the candles first."

Shana, House thought. He'd urged her to name the kid _Grace_ , just to see the expression on Wilson's face, but she'd guessed something was up and gone for this instead. Yiddish, from the German root _schön_ , meaning _beautiful_.

He scowled at the baby. Shana's fingers found their way into her mouth and she burbled at him.

"Got something for you to sign," House called after Cuddy's retreating back. "Nothing important -- just the health commissioner threatening to close the hospital down. Again." He swung his right leg forward and followed her into the dining room. It was dimly lit, the corners of the room washed in shadows, and House squinted.

"Are you just now discovering how expensive a kid is?" he sniped. "Saving on electricity?"

Cuddy ignored the verbal jab. "Wanting me to sign something is your secret way of saying you want a microwave in your office, or a new home theatre system for the Diagnostics Department." She murmured something in a hushed, comforting tone as she laid the baby in what appeared to be a rectangular laundry basket on wheels and then returned her attention to House. "It's Sunday _night_ , House -- is this such an emergency?"

House shrugged. "I was in the neighborhood."

"Well, it'll have to wait its turn," Cuddy said. She pushed aside the scrum of cardboard boxes that had been occupying one end of the dining table, and a sudden silver gleamed beneath the ceiling globe. A candelabra, four branches to a side, resting on a broad silver tray. But not just _any_ candelabra. A --

 _"Ah!"_ Shana chirped.

House groaned.

"What?" Cuddy said.

"Don't you think it's a little _early_ to start filling the kid's head with fairy tales?" House resisted the impulse to tap the menorah with his cane, merely to illustrate his point, of course. She'd even put the _candles_ in already -- a pair of slender white tapers, one in the center and one in the last left branch. A red and blue box of wooden kitchen matches rested beside its base.

Cuddy tucked a few stray strands of hair behind one ear and glared at him.

"They're not _fairy tales_ ," she growled. He looked at her in disbelief.

"All _right_ ," she conceded. "They're ... metaphors. Life lessons. Ways of coping with untenable situations. But that doesn't make them any less valuable or meaningful in today's world."

"Why don't you go ahead and teach her that the earth is flat? That the moon's made of green cheese? Just because your fairy tale's older than my fairy tale doesn't make it any less a fucking _fairy tale_. It's bullshit!"

"House -- "

"Oh, she's not going to remember a few _big bad words!_ "

"You don't know _what_ she'll remember." Cuddy brushed past him to get to the box of matches and the waiting menorah. "That's why we're doing this."

House sniffed; a faint scent of _Cuddy_ lingered in the air, sandalwood and French roses mixed with a distinct olfactory undernote. After a moment he decided it was baby poo.

A quick _skritch!_ of sulphur against the rough scratch-pad, and the match head flared to life. Cuddy's eyes were dark as she lit the middle candle; a quick puff of breath extinguished the match-flame, and she set the charred bit of wood down on the silver tray.

"Let's give you a better view," she murmured, and huffed softly as she hoisted Shana back into her arms.

 _"Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam,"_ she chanted. She swayed gently from side to side, rocking the baby with the soothing motion. _"Asher kidishanu b'mitz'votav v'tzivanu, l'had'lik neir shel Chanukah."_

"Amen," House muttered. Cuddy shot him a sharp look but continued with the blessings.

 _"Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam, she'asah nisim la'avoteinu bayamim haheim baz'man hazeh."_

"And amen," House said, in a slightly louder voice. "A miracle for your ancestors or a miracle for you?"

Cuddy obviously wasn't listening. She carefully levered the _shammas_ candle from its holder; the room bloomed with a soft light as she touched the candle's wick to the other.

House glanced down; the baby was quiet, watching the moving lights with a look of fierce concentration. The faint illumination from the dimmed ceiling globe and the glow of the candles combined to form a luminous golden arc, a Fra Angelico nativity.

 _Virgin and Child_ , House thought. _Madonna of the Tribes._

 _"Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu -- "_

 _" -- melekh ha'olam,"_ House interrupted.

Cuddy fell silent.

 _"Shehecheyanu v'kiyimanu v'higi'anu laz'man hazeh."_ She didn't seem surprised that he knew the words.

"King of the universe," House continued, "who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season."

"Amen," Cuddy said. Her expression was unreadable as she replaced the _shammas_ candle back into its center spot. The baby gurgled softly and blew a tiny spit bubble.

"Why aren't you with your family?" House asked.

Cuddy used a corner of the blanket to wipe Shana's chin. She didn't look up.

"I _am_ with my family," she said. "Are you planning on sticking around?"

House stared at her. "Am I what?"

"Are you coming back tomorrow night?" Her eyes were still on the baby, but she waved her right hand in the vaguest of directions at the menorah. "We've still got seven candles to get through."

House tapped his cane on the floor for a moment so as not to answer too quickly.

"Maybe," he said gruffly, "if you make it worth my while with some traditional holiday fare. Honey cake. Matzoh balls." He leered. "Better yet, matzoh brei for _breakfast_."

Cuddy rolled her eyes.

"Give it up, House," she said. "Besides, wrong holidays. Honey cake is Rosh Hashonah, matzoh's for Passover." The warmth in her voice belied her exasperated tone, and House shook his head in mock dismay.

"Really? Damn, that means Wilson's been lying to me all these years. Next thing you'll tell me is Yul Brynner wasn't really Pharoah."

Cuddy sighed. "Where's the paper?"

"The what?"

"You said if you didn't get some _piece of paper_ signed tonight the world was going to end. Where is it?"

"It ... doesn't need to be turned in for another week." He shook his head and clucked apologetically. "And we'll probably get a new case tomorrow, so I'll be too busy to have you sign it then, so I guess ... I'll stop by?"

"Uh huh. That's assuming you'll remember to bring it."

"Bring what?"

Cuddy sighed. She put her free hand on House's right arm and steered him firmly towards the door.

"Good night, House."

House allowed himself to be herded along, stopping only at the front door.

"What time tomorrow?"

Cuddy smiled. "Whatever time it says on whichever candle-lighting site you're using," she said. She gave him a light shove in the back, and House found himself on the porch. The door shut with a soft click behind him. From inside the house, he could hear Cuddy singing to Shana, and the baby beginning to cry for her delayed dinner. Outside, it was cold, and a brisk wind had come up. House zipped his jacket a little tighter as he started toward his waiting bike.

Seven more days. More than enough time to look for some _real_ toys -- blocks to turn in small hands, geometric shapes, dangly mobile things with planets and rocket ships and airborne astronauts. He stopped and looked up.

 _Galileo,_ he thought. _I'll get her a biography of Galileo. And da Vinci. Marie Curie. Picture books -- Cuddy likes Matisse's cut-outs._

He continued to compose lists as he fastened his helmet strap and the motorcycle's engine roared to life. He gunned it a little so Cuddy could hear it -- maybe Shana would remember _that_. He grinned to himself as he drove away.

Overhead, the stars had come out.

~ fin

  
 _NOTES:_  
The transliterations (and translations) that I used for the blessings are [here](http://www.jewfaq.org/prayer/chanukah.htm).  
The "laundry basket on wheels" is [here](http://www.thebabyoutlet.com/Level3.asp?Page=6628&Category=).  
Some beautiful examples of the work of Fra Angelico may be found [here](http://www.abcgallery.com/A/angelico/angelico.html). The [Virgin of the Annunciation](http://www.abcgallery.com/A/angelico/angelico16.html) is particularly lovely.  
As far as I know, the _Madonna of the Tribes_ is not a real work.


End file.
